Soren Evans
Soren Evans (ソーレン・エヴァンス, Sooren Evansu) was an S-Class mage; currently an Arch Sage of the Magic Council renowned for an impressive record of achievement alongside his vast magical capabilities. Prior to his involvement with the Council, Soren was the staff officer and strategist of the Holy Septet Royal Army an organization reserved for the finest soldiers in Seven. Furthermore, during his time as a member of the Royal Army, Soren was a member of the Tarot, an inner circle of elites that served under the direct command of the King of Seven. During his participation in the Light Burst War against the Engineer, he was awarded the alias "Thirteenth Hour" (十三時間, Jūsantaiji) by the Magic Council for his ability to direct several armies simultaneously; as Valmer Adelt suggested "Almost as if he always had an extra hour to think". Although he disappeared for 2 years, when he resurfaced in X795 Soren was recognized nationally for his contribution towards the country, having reportedly defeated one of the five major powers in the War by himself for which he was awarded the title of "Arch Sage Evans" (アーチセージ エバンス, Achiseji Evansu). In the years after the war Soren further refined his ability and as a byproduct, also expanded his fame, becoming recognized throughout the continent of Ishgar as the "Wind God" (風の神 Kazenokami) in honor of his mastery over Wind Magic and within the veterans of Seven as the "Untouched Tactician" (そのまま 策士 Sonomama Sakushi) for his particular method of combat. Prior to all his achievements, Soren was the humble son of the detective Orphrey Evans, struggling to find his own identity in the shadow of his father whose fame was continental. His breakthrough would appear in the uncovering of a plot to bring down the town of Roscoe, a discovery that brought him to national attention. One such person who would approach him with the new found fame was the enigmatic figure Phantom who through unknown reasons and methods would provide him the means to learn Etherea. Currently, Soren operates as an Arch Sage of the Magic Council, overseeing the activities of all the council members, while personally and privately investigating the actions of the Phantom for his own purposes. Appearance As a result of his almost countless achievements and contributions to the country, tales of his adventures often spin Soren as a muscular giant, able to destroy entire armies with ease. However, the often disappointing reality stands that Soren is in fact a rather average height and not all that muscular, boding a surprisingly thin frame and a gentle appearance. Soren gives off a gentle, graceful aura; those in his presence usually commenting upon his surprisingly ‘''un-macho''’ like quality yet, he is still not to be underestimated. His eyes, often a gentle brown, stands as a comforting gaze that possesses an almost fabled quality of bringing people back from hysteria yet, in times of boredom or when his mind is aloof appears to be “like a void”, disturbing strangers. Additionally, in times of combat or conflict, Soren’s eyes are known to flash to a shade of olive-yellow due to his magical talents, and in such moments his stare turns to a piercing glare that has been capable of petrifying weaker individuals by itself. As a reflection of his egoistic persona, Soren commonly stands tall with his back straight, refusing to lower himself even under absurdly oppressive conditions. His skin is extremely light and often unmarked regardless of his constant skirmishes, giving the appearance of nobility when in conjunction with his graceful movements. His hair is an extremely light shade, under differing lights being seen as either blonde or a soft shade of hazel and based off of appearance itself, appears to be remarkably soft and clean almost all the time. Although noted for his synchronous sharp and gentle facial features, due to his soft outward nature Soren is commonly unnoticed in large crowds, only mobbed by people when somebody notices him-much to his chagrin. As per his affiliation with the Guild Hydra Head, Soren has his guildmark blazoned on his right chest. As a further supplement to his graceful appearance, Soren is almost always seen in his now famous cloak, to the extent it exists as a part of his fame and identity within the public eye. The most recognizable feature of the cloak is often agreed to be the arms, a white fabric adorned with a consistent gold pattern that slowly fades into deep blue; the ends themselves spread as bell sleeves and commonly hide his delicate hands by overlapping his limbs. His cloak is often kept open and, while adorned with gold and blue patterns throughout, the front of his cloak cuts short, extending only just above his mid riff. The back of the cloak dons an almost wave like nature, appearing as a cape and, with the same gradient as his sleeves, goes so far as to the back of his knees. The cloak itself, much alike to Soren, is often remarkably clean and spotless, earning admiration from common onlookers. On him at practically all times is another part of his signature attire, the Orb and Sceptre. Regarded as treasures of the Royalty of Seven, Soren instead uses them for a much practical purpose, wielding them aggressively as weapons. The Orb itself is often seen floating around him or balanced within Soren's palm whereas the actual sceptre itself, a staff the length of his body with a lamp like finish at the top, is casually slung over his shoulder. On top of his head Soren dons an extremely small hat, almost cubic in shape and is gold colored, adorned with feathers on both sides. He commonly swaps between different designs, the front adorned by a blue or camouflaged gold emblem however the general design is often of a cubic nature that is able to stay on his head, further complimenting Soren's graceful nature. Although particularly attached to his hats, in times of conflict he is more than ready to relinquish it in favor of keeping it pristine. The hat itself is commonly the only part of Soren's outfit that is seen to get dirty, however regardless of how tattered it gets, is always repaired and worn within the next week. Under his cloak, Soren commonly dons a violet vest similarly traced with gold linings, bounded together by several belts in front of his chest that additionally serve as a light form of armor. His vest cuts off just above his thighs, and is tied by a white and gold belt often loosely hanging outside of battle. Finally, his pants are the exact same shade as his vest however lack the gold tracings. Soren often wears boots bolstered by a brown cloth armor that go all the way to his knees and are heavily padded there that are, rather surprisingly, flexible at his ankles. His boots are buckled and the toes of his boots are rather sharp, reminiscent of the ‘'Holy Septet Royal Army’s'’ strict uniform. Personality Soren is typically referred to as rude and cold, preferring to be alone than with company and consequently, is commonly described as a temperamental person. Araseph had initially believed this is actually because he fears “''getting too close to casualties''”. To bolster the persona of a distant figure, Soren acts upon logic and thinks from a faithless viewpoint, quickly putting the feelings or special circumstances of others aside if it benefits his current affiliation, at one point during the War having famously ordered not to help others if it hinders them in any way. Though he is sometimes criticized for such a cynical approach, Soren’s tactics are still regarded as impeccable and unrivaled by many, including opponents such as Seifer who viewed him as “indispensable” to the country during the war. Soren’s sharp mind has managed to additionally bring about moments of peace, his tactics having earned the attention of Lutece who, due to her reckless nature, had never even thought of tactics prior to their meeting. His razor sharp mind alongside his fearlessness often puts him at the forefront of armies and squadrons, leading to a fearsome reputation as an outstanding warrior. Despite his short comings and rude interactions, underneath Soren is something of an empathetic gentleman. Despite his reputation as a rude and cold person, in reality Soren simply prefers to be lost in his own thoughts as opposed to the ramblings of others, exceptions including people he cares for or highly respects. To those he is familiar with, he has a polite, comedic, occasionally quirky way of speech, alongside an exceptionally high pitched voice when depicting moments of sarcasm. Although he commonly adheres to his plans, he is extremely loyal and has on several occasions broken such plans to challenge significantly stronger opponents to save cherished ones. Furthermore, serving as a surprise to those who only know of his feats, Soren holds an acute interest in flowers-converting a large portion of his office to a greenhouse. He takes great pleasure in growing flowers, having named all of his Etherea techniques after specific flowers and has shown great knowledge of their various meanings as well as their growth patterns; having located a hide out purely from accompanied flower petals. In addition to being an exceptionally powerful mage, attestable by his achievements and high position in the Council, Soren is overwhelmingly enthusiastic about ensuring people are aware of his outstanding abilities. As Araseph had accused “He is a flamboyant egoist”, commonly deifying his plans, complimenting himself from a third point of view, and showing off his magical abilities to ‘fortunate’ spectators, at one point using his full extent of magical power to simply walk on water rather than taking a boat. Soren is an extremely gifted and talented strategist, usually forming the plans he needs moments before they are to come into effect however, with his egoistic attitude he often replaces the plan already agreed upon by those involved. Furthermore, Soren consistently maintains he is gifted in the art of motivational speeches, although Valmer Adelt argues he has obviously lost what little talent may have ever existed-his infamously disastrous attempt to psyche up a small squad before facing an adversary in the War consisting of: On a more solemn note; Soren’s charming aspect hides a considerably darker, more bloodthirsty nature that was seen to have manifested itself after the events of the war as opposed to during. At Araseph’s questioning, Soren describes this second, almost bipolar nature as a “despicable, tortured thing.” Several characters from Seven have commented about his darker tendencies, and often go out of their way to prevent such situations from initially occurring. When Soren’s darker side comes out, he dons an expressionless mask and speaks in a relatively mute tone. He often mocks his opponents, and several times goes out of his way to humiliate them before utterly slaughtering them-without a single shred of fear no matter how large their numbers may be. Even though those around him often try to suppress Soren’s darker side due to his reputable position, Soren himself has also shown an extremely strong will, to which he can manage to fight off his darker urges to stay sane. He remains deeply remorseful for the acts he committed in his darker state and as a result, largely attempts to redeem himself. This kinder nature manifests in his tactical methods, although he accepts sacrifice of individuals as part of war, in reality he is highly reluctant to allow this to happen. He protects those close to him diligently, although often has issues regarding whether to stray from his plans or ensure the survival of those around him. Such a kinder nature was clear in Soren's youth, despite his clearly valuable role as a tactician, he was often seen at the front-lines-usually refusing to let others do his work for him. This recklessness was taken for immense pride and loyalty by his fellow soldiers, and alongside his prideful nature in battle quickly garnered admiration and respect. Soren's mental fortitude was often observed in battle through a variety of situations, one instance including his refusal to fall even after his only weapon was cleanly sliced through. Oddly enough, although determined, in reality Soren had been a rather weak personality-often described as "lacking the marks of a soldier". Often fearful, indecisive and in other moments far too optimistic, even in the midst of battle he was simply far too empathetic, a trait several leaders generally disliked and was occasionally mentioned to have been his downfall in the period of time he was declared missing in action. However, regardless of all his oddly spread habits and traits, Soren was and in his current community, is a much loved and highly valued individual, both for his emotional and combat based capabilities. Synopsis Fairy Tail: Black Glass Equipment Orb and Sceptre (宝玉と勺杖 Hōgyoku to Shaku Tsue): The primary weapon that Soren carries around and almost unfortunately, makes him extremely easy to find in any crowd, the aptly named Orb and Sceptre is Soren's primary choice of weaponry. Awarded his weapon as a result of his inauguration as the Arch-Sage of Seven's Magic Council, the Orb and Sceptre additionally serves as a symbol of his status, seemingly granting him unrestricted access to any location within Seven. As powerful it may appear, the Orb and Sceptre to much of Soren's chagrin must be on display at all times and as a result, cannot be hidden or disguised at the risk of imprisonment. For it's size and it's combative ability, the regalia is actually extremely light weight. Lethal to be bashed by yet, easy to carry, the equipment is figured to be fitted with an enchantment, it is only weightless to humans that are recognized by the Sceptre. The reality however, and the reason as to why the Orb and Sceptre is such a revered weapon in addition to it's status is because the regalia itself is actually sentient and, when charged with enough power (Blazed), is capable of unleashing extreme power rivaling the members of Fabula Nova. Heavily based off of the original treasures of Seven, the orb itself is a levitating ball of red metal with a yellow seal wrapped around the center. The ball, cherished as a Jewel is roughly the same size as a head and is hollow, although the walls are surprisingly thick. Linked to Soren via a form of contract magic, it is able to levitate and is easily manipulated by his thoughts. Additionally, it is capable of expanding or contracting to specific measurements, the metal walls altering its thickness at Soren's will and sizes. Soren's sceptre bears a comical resemblance to a lamp post however is inspired by the Khakkhara, a brilliant blue staff with a lamp like structure of gold encasing a sapphire lachrima that emits light at will akin to a lighthouse. The middle of the staff has a golden handle that is able to part to reveal a small compartment. The sceptre stands to the same height as Soren and while almost weightless to Soren, has been shown to be capable of crushing bones with ease. The Orb and Sceptre serves as the perfect weapon for Soren, prepared for any situation and allowing an extremely flexible style of fighting. With the Jewel, the Arch-Sage is capable of keeping large sums of opponents at bay, by rapidly orbiting the ball around his body and expanding it to block or push away any projectiles. Being controlled solely by his mind allows Soren to react to attacks faster than he is physically capable of, an extremely large advantage in battle. Furthermore, he is able to use the ball itself as a form of transportation by standing on it, allowing a means to avoid the surface and traverse over large distances. The sceptre is often used as an ordinary staff, the post at the end used as a blunt to bash foes. With the lightweight property, Soren is able to move extremely quickly and viciously. The lachrima at the head further allows for either random blasts of magic to be emitted or, can be used as a channel for his Wind Magic or Etherea, further giving him access to a broader and stronger range of spells. When together, the Orb and Sceptre become extremely destructive where the sceptre can be used as a bat to fling the orb around the battlefield, wiping out large crowds with ease. Due to the ease with which Soren can conduct such abilities, he is often left unharmed, a trait expressing his dominating capabilities. *'Gladiolus' (グラジオラス Gurajiorasu ''): As a weapon the Orb and Sceptre is a powerful combination, by itself it is capable of taking down swathes of enemies. However, the weapon itself is sentient with a dormant spirit lying inside, and when charged or '''Blazed' with enough magical power, it is capable of awakening the spirit, in turn unleashing large volumes of magical energy. Aptly named after the flower, Gladiolus appears as a spectre wrapped around Soren, bonded to the weapon via her lower body. Only appearing when blazed, she is capable of gathering and manipulating an enormous amount of eternano and rapidly fueling Soren with it, granting access to a broader range of spells and combative abilities that would have been previously risky or impossible to cast. When channeling Gladiolus' powers, the sapphire on the sceptre shines a brilliant light, and a blue gladiolus (flower) pattern floats behind him. Although using Gladiolus grants Soren an overwhelming amount of magical abilities to be used at will, he can only use her services for 15 minutes a day, at the risk of being fed too much eternano and consequently dying of poisoning. Magic and Abilities Natural Abilities Genius Intellect: Soren’s tremendous intellect is easily recognized, even amongst his range of powerful combative capabilities as his most formidable trait. Selected from an extremely young age to be a leading strategist of the Holy Septet Royal Army, prior to that academically breaking records at his school, and even before all that watching his father’s detective work Soren has always been acknowledged to be mentally gifted and above his peers. As part of his position in both the Magic Council and the Kingdom of Seven, he is privy to knowledge unknown to many, further well versed in the history and tactics of Seven to which he has succinctly manipulated for his own purposes. During the Light Burst War, in addition to recognizing and dismantling the strategy of other forces, he combined several different tactics to create an unrivaled advancement that ultimately served crucial to emerging victorious. Soren is an extremely perceptive fighter and takes great pride in his ability, in high pressure situations he uses his intelligence advantageously to determine his opponents attack patterns and weaknesses, by identifying one’s weak points he has been able to overcome disadvantageous situations via nothing but mental fortitude. He was able to figure out the true nature of Phantom’s magic and identity, much to the latter’s confusion and annoyance, deducing it was a form of human control and consequently, was able to fearlessly confront an entire ‘army’. Effectively manipulating his wind magic to confuse opponents, Soren has been shown to study his opponents down to their very motives and abilities, placing his foes in a certain situation or knowing when to use the full extent of his offensive and defensive capabilities to overcome foes, allowing battles to end relatively quickly, largely before he gets injured in most situations. The only instance where it completely failed him was, prior to his 2 year disappearance, his last stand against Nowie in which he was helplessly overwhelmed by brute force. His intellect of course, extends into his daily life too. A “''monster''” when it comes to problem solving and logic, Soren is a master chess player and has been shown to be multi-lingual, able to converse with merchants from several other countries with ease and, given several hours able to converse (albeit at a basic level) in a completely new language. He’s been shown to be in charge of tutoring Araseph during their travels and was able to temporarily repair an elevator by charging the lachrimas with different levels of magic. Additionally, he thoroughly enjoys riddles and games, much to the horror of Araseph, as he consistently presents several situations to her on their way to their missions. * Master Tactician:Although commonly egoistic and at times boisterous, Soren has shown to be able to quickly become cool and composed even in desperate times. And it is within those effortless moments Soren has proven, alongside his vast knowledge and intellect, to be a creative and masterful tactician, adjusting to and constantly conjuring new plans seamlessly to any situation. In accordance to having a thorough understanding of the methods and reasoning of almost every single strategy in the history of Seven, Soren is able to quickly understand and dismantle opposing forces, able to see through several feints and deceptions, in turn allowing for the creation of accurate and lethal decisions. When manipulating information or attempting to conjure a new plan, Soren is able to do so deceptively quickly, to the extent the Magic Council itself awarded him the title of The Thirteenth Hour. In times that he is not devising another layer of tactics on top of his original plans, he goes about finding every scrap of information about his current opponents possible, all their strengths, weaknesses and if possible even their mannerisms, all to defeat them. Such a trait existed in his creation of an entirely new Wind Magic spell to thin the concentration of Eternano in the area, effectively reducing the capabilities of a Celestial Spirit Mage. As an inherent part of his ego and his reputation as an untouched tactician, he persists in using his tactics to outsmart and trap his opponent, preferring to commonly deal with them from afar through his magic, Orb and Sceptre, or his familiar Guang. Immense Strength: Soren's fighting style heavily relies upon taking the opponent apart from afar, a lethal combination of his tactical mind with his long distance wind magic and familiar spirit. Yet, in necessary moments Soren has shown an immense amount of physical strength, enough to appear as one of the strongest individuals within the Kingdom of Seven. Possessing a fighting style certainly much more aggressive than one would expect from him- a style reminiscent of boxing and taekwondo, with his physical prowess Soren has been capable of defeating opponents by repeatedly bashing them into submission. His strength is clearly shown in his various feats, such as when his punch sent a grown bear several feet into the air, and through multiple tree trunks without the use of any magic. Later on he would nonchalantly block an empowered kick from a dark mage that held enough force to create a large crater, and was able to knock out the same individual in a single blow. Soren's true sign of strength was revealed in his last expedition with Araseph, as he blocked a strike from a building sized Giant with his body, and was able to similarly send him flying back with a counter, all the while staying still-having not budged the slightest. When helping the Magic Council move into a new headquarters, Soren carried a fridge over his shoulder, that was heavy enough to cause the floor to shake and several tables to jump off the ground when he dropped it. Immense Speed: In addition to his phenomenal strength, Soren possesses the ability to move at incredible speeds. He is able to move very quickly, appearing as a blur in combat and has been shown to defeat opponents seemingly out of range with hand to hand combat, implying he is able to move to multiple locations extremely quickly. To those of lesser strength, Soren's ability to move from place to place and close tremendous gaps of distance within seconds appears as a form of teleportation, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Able to outrun or catch up to almost anybody, he can additionally improvise and use flying debris as platforms to move even faster, seemingly unaffected by the lack of solid surface to step upon. Furthermore, his speed and immense strength allows him to swim at great speeds, displaying his ability of rapid movement as a trait present on both land and water. Soren uses his speed to great effect, often to travel but in combat to create and close distances, exemplifying his image of an untouched tactician. Enhanced Endurance: Similarly to the upper echelons of the Magic Council, Soren possesses a great deal of endurance, showing very little to no signs of exhaustion in extensive battles against multiple opponents. Lasting for extremely long periods of time he is able to endlessly fight against overwhelming numbers and traverse incredible distances via non stop travelling. A testament to Soren's endurance was clearly exhibited in his duel against Saxon Xadrez, bonded to specific limitations via magic, withstood an incredible explosion in front of him, blasted through several buildings and when finally crashing onto the ground simply started laughing about it. This level of endurance however, is not necessarily accompanied by a stance of durability, although he is capable of pushing forwards and possessing a seemingly infinite reserve of stamina he is not able to necessarily withstand large amounts of damage without being unharmed. In large battles, unless he is able to avoid large amounts of damage Soren often has to retreat to the backlines. Enhanced Agility and Reflexes: In line with his slim figure and as a part of his fighting style, Soren possesses incredible reflexes and a similarly commendable sense for agility. At a young age he was able to evade attacks and duck beneath heavy swings with ease, although he was susceptible to blind attacks or movements faster than he himself could react to. However, now as a significantly more experienced fighter, Soren is at a completely new level, his egoistic attitude claiming with a certain degree of truth to be “completely unscratched since the War”. He is able to dodge and weave through a hail of projectiles without being hit and has casually side stepped a magic beam shot at point blank range, going so far as to taunt the attacker into firing more. On particularly 'good days' Soren can use his experience to predict another's moves shortly before they make them, on several occasions blocking and countering in a single swift motion. This prediction appears to others as if he is predicting the future, ultimately unnerving them. In addition to being able to remain unharmed, his ability to predict actions has provided golden chances of comboing with his allies in a spectacular fashion, leaping off of an ally's mid-air stomp to further boost his speed. With his superb agility, he is able to slide in several attacks in addition to his already devastating blows, paving access to several hand to hand blows being delivered within quick succession one after the other. Within the heat of the battle he is capable of matching and manipulating the tempo of the fight as a result of such capabilities, skilfully avoiding attacks all the while dancing on his palms and calmly distancing himself from his foes. However, such feats are unfortunately accompanied by a con, in times when he must quickly switch from peace to combat, Soren often takes several minutes to reach his full potential. Magical Abilities Immense Magical Power: Soren has displayed time and time again that he is an extraordinarily powerful mage, capable of casting highly advanced spells such as Excalibur or repeatedly casting intricate techniques like Sky God's Blade in mere moments. Yet, these feats are only possible as a result of his incredible reserves of magical power. As a former S-Class mage and now a highly ranked member of the Council, it is easily expected of Soren to succinctly meet the requirements of such roles. Throughout multiple battles Soren was able to cast several difficult and destructive spells within quick succession, spamming them at his opponent. Additionally, with the knowledge he has a tremendous amount of magic power, he has on several occasions casted major spells, only to use them as mere decoys for his plans without showing any signs of fatigue. He is well known for his absolute mastery over Wind Magic, and consequently is able to cast spells underneath the Wind category easily and efficiently, mastering the high level spell Final Breath to the extent he can not only delay the effects of the spell but also cast it extraordinarily quickly. He is capable of simultaneously casting spells and chaining them in succession to deliver devastating effects. Normally stored inside of him, when released in minute amounts Soren's magic is enough to cause gale in the area, appearing as flickers of curling white warping around him and at its peak, willingly and freely discharged from his body, Soren's magic appears white in color and is physically capable of splitting the clouds as well as creating a whirlwind and minor shock-waves felt within a large vicinity. Several individuals have commented on the absurd amount of magical power he possesses; when released it is enough to crack the ground he stands upon, and instantaneously bring people to their knees, such a display of overwhelming ability was shown through an extreme tolerance of abilities, where although several powerful spells did indeed hit him, due to an overwhelming difference in magical power Soren was simply left unaffected, not even remotely injured by the attack. As a powerful individual, he has furthered his abilities even more by heavily decreasing the time he needs to restore his magical power, able to reach his best condition after miraculously exhausting his reserves in the same day. * Symphonia (シンフォニア, Shinfonia) Blaze In extremely recent years a group of researchers uncovered a second 'container' hidden within mages that stores their unused magic power, titled the Second Origin. Through extreme training and discipline, as well as a thorough understanding of the concept of magic and eternano, it is possible for a mage to not only unlock this second container but to also add such a feature to their arsenal, allowing them to cast larger spells more frequently. Across Earthland this phenomenon is awarded several different titles, especially in Fiore, Ishgar where it is titled 'Second Origin Release'. Yet, the country of Seven, a country that places heavy emphasis on tradition and the supernatural pursued a different path to Fiore- as opposed to giving the mage a permanent boost in power to greatly boost their natural and magical abilities, the country of Seven uses the second origin primarily as a final trump card, to boost their powers to ridiculous levels for several minutes. Heavily based off of the Engineer's original concept of Deus Fortitudo, a spell given to the Apprentices of Fabula Nova to unleash vast amounts of power at a heavy cost, Seven's interpretation of the concept of Second Origin involves a similar seal, located on one's body that when activated unleashes an extraordinarily large burst of magical power, hence the appropriate title Blaze (ブレイズ Bureizu). As studied heavily by the R&D section of the Magic Council headed by the scientist Ladon, Deus Fortitudo, a frighteningly powerful spell, was accompanied by immense disadvantages, the largest being the lack of ability to fight back after the spell ran out of time which would in turn lead to the Apprentice needing to be rescued. Thus, to cover such a weakness that could be used by the Magic Council's members during the war, through an understanding of the Second Origin Ladon proposed a concept; recklessly unleashing the full contents of the second container for several minutes, in exchange granting access to unbelievable heights of power. The benefit to such a concept was that, the original 'container' would remain unaffected, thereby allowing the individual to continue fighting even after all their abilities are expended. Of course, once expended the second container becomes unavailable until fully recharged, which depending upon the capabilities of the mage can take from several days to months. Furthermore, much like a gauge or an engine, Blaze cannot be freely activated from the start, a certain amount of magic must be expended by the individual, otherwise acting similarly to a warm-up. When unleashing Blaze, due to the reckless nature and the amount of magic that is discharged from the body, the user is naturally covered within their magic that takes on a visible appearance often unique to the user. Most times relating to their personality, traits or their affinity, it additionally serves as either a boost to a respective ability or as a cloak to absorb incoming damage. In regards to Soren, the use of Blaze makes his magic take on the appearance of visibly white wind currents that concentrate themselves around his limbs by wrapping around him for as long as Blaze is active. Furthermore, although they cannot physically lift him up, a huge concentrate of magic forms as wings coating his arms that assist in immensely boosting the features of any Wind Magic spell, changing the simple spell Gale into the fearsome Endless White Nine Heavens and allowing Soren to not only weave several spells together, but also simultaneously cast them or to even delay the effects of a single spell to offset one's timing. Within Blaze, Soren's magical abilities are boosted, alongside his natural capabilities. Covered in his magic, he is capable of withstanding physical blows that would have normally rendered him unconscious, and not only is able to move even faster (on top of his immense speed) but is able to react much faster, able to read and understand the slightest movement in the air within milliseconds. Magic Etherea (えせり, Eseri):A vital part of Soren's arsenal, Etherea allows the user to manipulate their own magical power for unique and flexible combative purposes. Specifically, it allows Soren to mold his raw magical energy into ethereal weapons that are weightless and viciously sharp paving the possibility for quick, deadly slashes. This magic gives full control and flexibility over the shape and design of the weapon as well as the amount of magical energy invested in each weapon giving Soren extreme flexibility to conjure arms designed specifically for any situation. It was shown in several instances that the conjured weapons were much stronger than ordinary steel, able to effortlessly slice through such material as if it were butter. Soren uses this magic solely as a last line of defense; when particular individuals are able to advance past his long-mid range spells and his familiar spirit/ guardian Guang. Able to use this magic freely his mastery over Etherea focuses specifically upon crafting speed as opposed to limitless strength-able to generate a wide variety of weapons almost instantly for several purposes, limited only by his creativity and the amount of space available. His control over the magic and being able to quickly summon weapons has allowed for the image of ethereal weapons that can pass through objects. In accordance with his elegant nature, Soren’s Etherea techniques are colloquially named after specific flowers, each spell designed for a specific symbol a flower possesses. When using particular spells, as an optional flair a small crystallized flower made of magical energy forms corresponding to the name of the particular technique. Although the strength and size of generating the weapon is not his forte, Soren is still able to cast colossal weapons strong enough to cleave swathes of opponents in half and block powerful blasts of energy. In desperate situations he can create unconventional blades and handles to attack from unpredictable angles. Although such a feat is heavily taxing on both his mind and magical reserves, the ability to grow an entire forest of blades underneath his opponent’s feet serves vital for overpowering foes. As a particular downside, the limits of Etherea dictate that only melee weapons can be created, and must be in contact with the caster at all times. Letting go of a weapon at in any instance causes the arm to shatter and disperse into eternano. *'Black Rose' (黒いバラ Kuroi Bara): Born from his incredible control over the speed of Etherea, the Black Rose serves as a common motif for death. With his mastery, Soren is capable of conjuring weapons extremely quickly and cancelling them at the same speed which, in combat can be abused for confusing and devastating purposes. By equipping a weapon or even creating two, Soren attacks his opponent, slashing at them aggressively and often quite obviously. A moment before the individual moves to block the strike, Soren cancels the weapon and; once his hand or his whole body has moved past the defense, quickly summons the blade again and resumes his slash-appearing as if he had managed to phase through one’s defenses. Although a simple trick, pulling off such a feat flawlessly is quite difficult, having to perfectly time to cancel and summon of the weapon so the illusion is not exposed. *'Gladiolus V.2' (…) The Orb and Scepter, Soren’s primary choice of weapon as a magical artifact can be combined with several branches of magic to further its capabilities and deal more damage. One particular application of the artifact includes charging the sapphire crystal with Soren’s own magic and casting Etherea onto the scepter. This results in an enormous blade that easily towers over most structures. For comparative purposes the scepter itself which stands to be the same height as Soren serves as the handle for the blade. Due to the weightless nature of Etherea magic and the light weight of the artifact, the spell results in a powerful blade that can be swung around with ease despite its size. *'Angraecum' (アングレカム属 Angurekamu Zoku): The Angraecum serves as a motif for royalty, inspired by Silas' Kaizer’s Klinge technique during the war. Initially titled Emperor Blast, it is amongst Soren’s Etherea spells the most defensive attack. As Silas’ original spell resulted in pouring all his magical energy into offensive power, Soren sought a method to turn such potential into a heavy defence. Soren gathers his magical energy into a heavy, condensed ball of magical energy that floats on his right palm. He then crushes the ball which releases a large amount of energy and coats his right arm in magical energy. The Wind nature of his magic results in the magic taking the appearance of wind magic as opposed to an ethereal weapon while it still wraps around his arm. Once solidified, the blade appears as a jagged mass of a blade formed around Soren’s arm that can be used simultaneously as an extended blade and as a shield. As well as being sharp by the standards of Etherea magic, the added aspect of Wind Magic makes the edge of the Angraecum extremely sharp, to the point he was able to pierce through Florence Godspell’s incredible defense. *'Camellia' (カメリア Kameria): Recognized all over Earthland as the flower of perfection, the technique Camellia is titled such for it is Soren’s secret pride. Crafting long yet, elegantly designed swords Soren dual-wields the blades and additionally gathers his Wind Magic while creating them. However unlike Angraecum that appears distorted as a result of the magic, the addition of Wind Magic to Camellia results in a simple coating of Wind Magic that can be used to enhance Soren’s attacks. By slashing at the air, Soren unleashes a wave of Wind Magic that can be used to cut opponents from afar, and a sheathe of wind magic can be used to augment the blade’s swings. The magic, if unleashed in an arc, is released at the tip of the blade in a crescent pattern. *'Viscaria' (ヴィすかりあ Viescalia): A beautiful bright flower, the viscaria is often used to signify an invitation to dance. Before casting, Soren takes a pose; drawing his right foot slightly back he bows to the opponent, placing his left arm across and his right arm folded behind him. When ready he instantly dashes behind his opponent and casts Etherea, beginning with two ordinary swords. He quickly clashes at the opponent and when he uses each blade once he instantly cancels and creates new weapons, constantly changing weapons and the style of attack he is using, quickly flicking through an array of Axes-Lances-Broadswords-Hammers-Scythes-Maces and many more varieties. The constant change often offsets an opponent’s tempo and with the added nature of unpredictability can easily gain a psychological edge to win the battle. Just as sharp as the blade is, each of the weapons are powerful in their own right, adjusted accordingly by Soren. Furthermore, with the flexibility Etherea provides, Soren can adjust the weight and distribution of each weapon created to surprise opponents and to further fuel his own combos. Wind Magic (風魔法 Kaze Mahō):Soren is an incredibly powerful mage who, amongst his array of talents and magical abilities largely focuses upon his signature magic; Wind Magic. As a manipulation of one of the 4 base elements Wind Magic serves as a variation to Air Magic and allows Soren to manipulate the element of air for more combat oriented purposes in contrast to its arguably more passive parent magic. As a branch of the concept of Air control, it allows Soren to produce, control and manipulate violent gusts of wind at his will, whether from near or afar, nicely fitting his flexible fighting style and to emphasize his tactical mind, he often remains stationary, allowing his wind magic spells to do the work for him. With enough control the cutting properties of wind can assault opponents from multiple directions, generate strong gusts to blind or blow opponents away and even generate hurricanes of multiple scales. The general practice of this magic primarily functions around using the cutting property of wind to empower one’s physical and magical abilities, using a wall of wind to boost Soren’s defenses and a coat of magic to dramatically increase an object’s lethality. Within the War he demonstrated an outstanding mastery over his signature magic, able to quickly and quite easily summon powerful gusts of wind, levitate in the air and with precise movements lift as well as redirect fallen equipment at his opponents. From a young age it was clear Soren held an affinity for the element, vocally exhibited when he was able to read movements in the air “like chain links” and use them to his advantage, albeit the air had to clean and rich with eternano. Today, such an affinity has significantly developed to fearsome capabilities, presently serving Soren as an invisible radar; clearly indicating the presence of anything that is not sealed air tight within a radius spanning several kilometers-a trait that had proved vital for his investigative and surveillance missions. In combat Soren’s magic appears white in color as a result of this link, capable of splitting the clouds and summoning heavy winds known to knock over unfortunate bystanders. Acknowledged now- several years after the war by his publicly awarded moniker “'Wind God'” (風の神 Kazenokami); Soren now has near to perfect control over the discipline perhaps the greatest wind mage alive in Seven-and one of the most proficient in Ishgar; emphasized by his ability to easily change the weather from clear skies to thundering clouds and vice versa by simply emitting his magical power. Like the aspect of wind, Soren’s mastery and mind allows for absurdly flexible purposes. Offensively he can summon tornadoes and easily increase the destructiveness of his Wind Magic spells as well as shaping wind around his Etherea weapons to increase their sharpness whereas defensively he can protect individuals and areas by casting domes to deflect incoming projectiles as well as conjuring wind walls to stop one’s movements. Soren also has supplementary purposes for his Wind, in conjunction with his brilliant tactical mind he is able to devise several new spells, having created a dome of air completely void of eternano called (rather uninspiringly) “'The Void'” that robs individuals of their magical capabilities. Additionally, his sharp wit has furthered the study of Wind Magic, on top of his current duties constantly seeking a means to develop his abilities further for newer applications of his magical talents-his latest findings touching upon spontaneous vacuums in the air. Subconsciously his magic fuels a constant barrier of wind wrapping itself around his body as a last line of defense that, although previously taxing is now completely unnoticeable and is effective at keeping Soren safe and unharmed by absorbing impact despite its pliable nature, exemplifying his title of the “'Untouched Tactician'”. *'Wind Barrier' (風のバリア Kaze no Baria): A technique born from Soren’s incredible affinity with Wind and his mastery over the magic. Obviously fueled by his magic, whenever Soren is about to be harmed a wall of wind will automatically surround and protect him, although not completely solid and rather pliable in nature it is able to succinctly absorb any impacts. The defensive power and flexibility of the barrier is enough for individuals to agree with the title of the “'Untouched Tactician'”. Its speed is at an incredible level- capable of blocking projectiles or blows that have traveled at the speed of sound. Later on in the War, the durability of the wind was strong enough to withstand a direct blow from RGeddion’s Magic Beam, an infamous blow known to have carved out new landscapes with ease. Soren can also change the shape of the barrier and its density, choosing to focus a portion of it towards the front rather than all around him, thereby making his defenses stronger, although unprotected in other areas. It is known that, whenever one form of defense is breached, Soren has been shown to improve and develop better versions. Initially a simply gust of wind that redirected blows, it is now flexible wall of molded magic that appears an opaque white in nature. Furthermore, with his innovative nature, Soren is able to incorporate other abilities into his barrier at will, casting gale and delaying its effects until the Barrier is broken. *'The Void' (ボイド Boido): The Void is a Wind Magic spell; it’s very existence serving almost contradictory to the aspect of Wind. It is however, an extraordinarily powerful spell and a one of a kind, one of the first spells designed from scratch by Soren through years of research and experimentation. Within the sanctions of the Magic Council, it is considered to be an extremely dangerous spell due to its indiscriminate nature and, as a result of being able to easily turn the tides of any fight, is restricted to being cast only in dire, solo situations under Military Law. When performing the spell Soren raises both hands and draws in the air to his palms, creating a breeze, quickly transforming into a gale and to a howling tornado. Once this is done, he crosses his arms, hands resting on each bicep, the tornado squeezed to a stick thin column twisting just in front of him. Soren then violently flings his arms outwards, sending a powerful shockwave-expanding with him in the center until it reaches a certain distance. At this, the tornado quickly expands, tearing the floor and any nearby structures apart and appears as a violent force field unable to be penetrated. However, the inside serves akin to the eye of the storm, extremely calm yet, in this instance is devoid of any sound and through Soren’s research- devoid of any traces of Eternano as it is all pushed to the outside. With the rapid winds surrounding the inhabitants of the spell, pushing off with enough force allows one to mimic the effects of zero gravity and any combat is restricted to physical exchanges. The walls of The Void are strong enough to tear apart any structures and to turn any debris into shrapnel, serving as a means of creating a temporary yet, effective solo arena. *'Sky God's Blade' (空の神の刃 Sorano Kamino Ha): Sky God’s Blade is Soren’s signature spell, the stance adopted whenever he is about to go into a fight. Unlike other Elemental Magics, Wind Magic cannot be used to turn a caster’s body to the element; Water casters can transform to water and Lightning casters can turn into electricity, both to become invulnerable and drastically increase their combat capabilities yet, a caster cannot easily transform into wind at the risk of dissipating. To circumvent such a disadvantage, Soren engineered the spell Sky God’s Blade. The user spreads their arms to their sides and wraps wind around them where it initially becomes a howling gale that is slowly molded into wings extending down his arms. From their shoulders to their wrists wind constantly encircles them and from the wrist onwards Wind Wings are formed, translucent shapes of magic that protect the caster’s hands. Once the magic has adopted a visible shape, the caster becomes significantly more attached to the essence of Wind. With this form Soren is able to cast any spells within the Wind Magic category with ease and at a significantly lesser cost-a vital aspect to casting some of his larger spells, as well as being able to use the wind for faster movement and read the air to dodge or foretell abilities. Thus Soren in this form possesses significantly stronger magical and physical capabilities, able to dash at the speed of sound of 343m per second and, with the wings able to move through the air for a pseudo flight. The wings themselves protect the hands of the caster and if fed enough eternano can become solid blades of magic able to slice at opponents. *'Howling Breakthrough' (ハウリングの画期的な Hauringu no Kakkiteki na): A relatively simple spell in comparison to his full arsenal, Soren rapidly gathers wind around his fist and once charged up punches his target. Aside from the sheer brute force of the punch and the added layer of molded wind, the cutting property of Wind Magic damages the target as well causing devastating effects. Due to its low level the spell can be cast on both hands and can exist indefinitely although its effects do diminish if not consistently recharged after every use. **'Wind Magic Secret Art: Final Breath' (風魔法の秘密のアート: 最後の息 Kazemahou no Himitsu no Aato: Saigo no Iki): Final Breath is a further enhancement of Howling Breakthrough, attainable only through several months of vigorous training and castable only with access to immense volumes of magic. Although it is a further enhancement, Soren states it to be more accurate to call it a whole new technique as it exists on a completely separate level in comparison to Howling Breakthrough. When in his form Sky God does Blade, Soren uses the magic that forms the wings of both arms to circle his right hand until it becomes a swirling mass of unrecognizable nature, resemble a giant ball with his hand stuck inside of it. Inside the sphere Soren’s Wind Magic is constantly rotating, so quickly that a roaring sound is clearly heard in the vicinity-an indication of the destructive nature of the spell. The spell itself is able to be held for 10 seconds at most, after which the orb tears apart in a minor explosion as the magic can no longer be contained. To be cast, Soren needs to make physical contact with the target, at which point he punches the target with the orb, causing a detonation from his fist alike to an immense vortex of wind in the immediate area, accompanied by the countless blades of Wind Magic stored inside of the orb. Alike to the Howling Breakthrough, the brute force of the explosion with the cutting property of Wind Magic causes incredible amounts of damage, to such a degree it was enough to send a member of the Giant species flying away during the War. *'Gale' (ゲイル ‘’Geiru’’): A staple spell of those deemed extremely proficient within Wind Magic, Gale is a spell that enables one to change the weather of their immediate location. Soren swipes both of his arms in a circular, counter clockwise motion until the bottom of his palms meet. The hand on top has all the fingers except for the thumb pointing upwards, while the other has the index and middle fingers pointing downwards while all other fingers are closed. While casting this spell Soren is surrounded by a surge of wind that is slowly enveloped with the white aura of his magic. The spell creates an immense, vertical explosion in the shape of a bright white pillar that shoots into the sky, parting any clouds should they exist. Soren then closes his top hand into a fist, at which point the pillar disappears and a strong gust of wind is summoned instantly, the strength of it influenced by the amount of magic Soren fuelled into the spell. At ordinary levels the wind is used to simply blow debris and dirt around the area serving as a distraction yet, at stronger levels it is enough to uproot structures and render opponents immobile. **'Wind Magic Secret Art: Endless White Nine Heavens' (風魔法の秘密のアート: 終わりなく白き九天 Kazemahou no Himitsu no Aato: Owari Naku Shiroki Kyuuten): The ultimate form of Gale is an immensely powerful Wind Magic spell and, especially displayed during the War, a spell of such magnitude it could feasibly decide the fate of an entire country. As Gale stands as a spell to summon a powerful gust of wind, Endless White Nine Heavens is a spell to summon such strong forces it can tear apart forces with ease. To utilize such a power, Soren must first be in Sky God’s Blade and be given some time to gather extra amounts of magical power. Once enough is gathered, to the extent it is practically flowing out of him -creating heavy winds and causing the ground underneath to crack, Soren casts a similar pose to Gale. He circles his arms until the bottom of his hands meet except, instead of poising his fingers he instead flings his arms out and alike to The Void a shockwave of magic erupts from him. Several moments of silence pass and, when the sky starts to rumble and the air begins to spark, the clouds grow darker and Soren begins to chant. Moving his hands as if he was stirring a pot, a gust of wind forms that rapidly becomes stronger and larger, to a twister and then into a cataclysmic tornado that, just by existing draws in anything nearby and tears apart the ground it stands upon. Still under his control, Soren is able to direct its movements with his fingers as it indiscriminately tears apart anything unfortunate enough to be caught within its grasp. In addition to the already destructive power of the tornado, the aspect of Wind Magic makes anything surviving its clutches near impossible. Once the spell’s purpose has been achieved, Soren then splays his hands causing the tornado to explode in a tremendous blast of Wind Magic and debris that by itself is powerful enough to tear a chunk out of a mountain it had been summoned upon. English= Lend me your strength, O Lord of the Skies! Dash from the Heaven’s Wind! O guardians of Asgard -Vanaheim -Alfheim! Come! Decree the fallen and judge them willingly! Endless White Nine Heavens! |-| Romaji= Sora no omo yo anata no chikara wo kashi te kudasai!' Tengoku no kaze kara dasshu!' O Asugarudo Vanaheim no hogosha - Arufuheimu! koi!' Taore ta ryou、yorokon de sorera wo handan!' Mugen no Shiroi Kyuuten! *'Wind Magic Heavenly Art; One Hundred Chants of the Skyward Guardian: Excalibur' (風魔法の天アート; 空に向かってガーディアンの百歌: エクスカリバー Kazemahou no Ten Aato; Sorani Mukatte Gaadian no Hyaku Uta: Ekusukaribaa): Crafted by an Arch Sage from the beginnings of magic, Excalibur exists as an ‘’Ancient, SSS-Class spell’’ deemed to be ‘forbidden’ by the Magic Council due to both its pure destructive power and the risk it bodes to the caster. Although the process of casting such a spell is actually quite feasible to learn, the requirements themselves are often not; consisting of 3 different parts; being able to complete the first part requires absolutely atrocious amounts of magical power and the requirements only increase from there. For Soren himself to be able to cast such an ability, he not only needs to have been prepared and rested for an entire week but also be at the peak of his ability during Blaze, at which point his very presence is enough to knock lesser mages completely unconscious and to cause stormy weather. When casting Excalibur, the user discharges almost all of their available magical power into the air, using it as a magnet to chain together the eternano particles in the air and then suddenly brings it back inside of their body with the added amount, resulting in the caster having an extraordinarily larger amount of magical power, at the extreme risk of developing poisoning due to an overexposure of eternano. Furthermore, if absorbed without proper care the caster can potentially kill themselves straight away with the immense influx of oxygen suddenly entering their body resulting in an imbalance to the gaseous exchange of tissues within the body. The user must then quickly yet precisely mold their magic into the shape of a gigantic blade, a weapon composed purely of Wind Magic that easily dwarfs the body of the caster by at least 4 times. An enormous blade accompanied by a guard of angelic wings, while held by the caster it is constantly spinning, wrapping even more wind around its blade. Maintaining the shape of the blade requires an abnormal amount of magical power and on top of that, keeping the destructive power of Excalibur sealed demands an even larger amount of Magical Power on top of that. Despite its appearance the blade is incredibly fragile and cannot be used as a weapon at the risk of premature detonation. The third and final step includes-quite simply- unleashing the spell onto the target. However, the power of Excalibur is well beyond what can be described as cataclysmic and as such, unless the caster holds no regard for their own survival requires not only an immensely strong defense to shield the caster from the spell’s effects to avoid being disintegrated, but also a bind or means to root the caster so they are not sent flying leagues away from the spell. To unleash the effects, the caster must plunge Excalibur blade first into the ground- the collision destroying the mold and unleashing the powerful force of the spell. When detonated the sheer blast of Excalibur is enough to decimate the landscape-to quake the earth and to raise tsunamis while the cutting aspect of Wind is enough to erase individuals of considerable strength without a trace. Such an incredible spell requires a lengthy incantation that is often cast between the second and third steps, prior to the spell being unleashed for optimal effects. English= Follow The Call And Serve Me…O Lord Of The Skies… Gallop Forth God-Slaying Tempest… Skirt The Long Clouds, Part The Winter Moon... Brighten The Heavens With The Diamond, Topaz And Jacinth. Bring Death To Those That Have Life... '' ''Purify Those That Have Sinned... Freeze The Waves Of Poseidon... Burn The Lands Of Gaia... One Hundred Chants And One Thousand Blasts! Heed My Call!! EXCALIBUR!!! |-| Romaji= Yobidashi ni shitagu shi, watashi no saabisu wo teikyo. Sora no O no shu'' Gyaroppu nado kami satsugai ten pesuto Nagai kumo no sukaato, fuyu tsuki wo sono Daiyamondo, topaazu, hiyashinsu to ten wo akaruki masu Tsumi wo okashi ta hito wo jouka suru Poseidon no nami wo touketsu. Gaia no tochi wo moyasu Hyaku uta to sen no bakuhatsu! Watashi no kooru ni mimi wo katamukeru! '''EKUSUKARIBAA ' *'Wind Sigils''' (風の印章 Kaze no Inshou): The concept of sigil and glyph based magic has existed in Seven since its very conception, considered a core part of daily life and is embraced as an alternate means of using magic rather than pure combat purposes. However, during the war technology was forcibly improved and as new styles of magic came to exist, Soren would go on to transform the sigils into weapons. The Wind Sigil as well as the concept of using glyphs for offensive purposes was created by Soren Evans, which he himself based upon lachrima based landmines. He spent a year crafting the theory which was intended to be the pinnacle of assassination related magic. Casting the sigils does not require incantations but rather, a drawing on a solid, stable surface that is imbued with large amounts of magic. Within the category of Wind Magic, Soren’s symbols are based off of the mythological 4 sisters of the Wind- North, South, East, West. Based upon their mythological tales each sigil is activated by direct pressure from somebody stepping on them or an object falling upon it after a certain period of time and in relativity to its size. Despite each symbol having a specific effect, the sigils can be combined for further and unique effects. When Pilse Navarina was threatened, by request Soren combined the North and South sigils to eliminate large portions of opponents. Similarly, to ordinary sigils- Wind Sigils can indeed by drawn upon human skin however, is not done so due to the devastating effects it poses. (North)= ‘When called forth from the void, Boreas rushed out icy and wild, tearing up the trees and piling up the waves in front of her, seeking to dig apart the heart of Gaia’ |-| (South)= ‘When Notus was let out, she pressed herself against the cavern of the cliff. So heavy with moisture that her body glistened; she cried and sung her pain to the world, spreading a leaden fog over land and sea’ |-| (West)= ‘Zephyr, the youngest of the four was softer than her sisters. Unable to bear the void she refused to ever fight again. When she escaped she blew, she swept the sky clear of the clouds and all of nature embraced her.’ |-| (East)= ‘But Eurus, the oldest of the four, when released from the void; disappeared. Burdened with the knowledge she could not protect her sisters she went into hiding, called forth only to save her fellow winds.’ **'North Wind: Boreas' (北の風: さボリアス Kita no Kaze: Sa Boriasu): An image alike to a shark’s tooth piercing a star etched inside a triangle, when activated by pressure it unleashes a triangular pillar of blue light that traps anything inside of it. Anything inside of the sigil, once activated is rooted to the spot and a gust of wind is formed, drawing to the center of the glyph. Once in the middle, a minute orb of spiraling, concentrated magic forms, where it is quickly unleashed upon the sigil’s inhabitants in a powerful explosion of cold wind **'South Wind: Notus' (南の風: ノトス Minami no Kaze: Notusu): An ornate crescent glyph inside of a square that can be activated by pressure or from afar by Soren’s will. It fades and begins to burn up the surface as well as summoning heavy winds. Together it quickly creates moisture in the air that turns into heavy fog, reducing visibility over an incredible range. Uniquely, due to the fog being heavily concentrated with eternano, conventional blind methods of sensing are often jammed and made significantly more difficult to achieve. **'West Wind: Zephyrus' (西の風: 宿泊施設 Nishi no Kaze: Shukuhaku Shisetsu): A circle enclosing an eye with a wavy line, like the fourth sister this is the most passive of Soren’s sigils. Activated by extremely small pressure, a simple coin toss would be able to activate it. When cast, it unleashes a soft yet, forcible shockwave that blows away everything within its radius in an expanding circle. The shockwave itself is rather harmless however, is shown to be able to brute force its way through solid structures, often used to separate large amounts of opponents. **'East Wind: Eurus' (東の風: ユーラスエナジーホールディングス Higashi no Kaze: Yuurasuenajiihoorudingusu): The most lethal of the 4 sisters and in Soren’s arsenal, the strongest sigil he possesses. A pentagon enclosing a glowing white heart covered with swirling black thorns, it is the most difficult to activate as it demands an extraordinary amount of magic and/or pressure to cast. When unleashed, the seal binds itself to the nearest individual identified as a foe by which point it traps the subject in a whirlwind. At once, the whirlwind collapses on the target, blasting the person with powerful, moving blades of wind from all directions at once. When the wind subsides, the sigil unleashes a shockwave that explodes, then quickly contracts with the person in the middle, crushing them with dense Wind Magic. Familiar Spirit Magic (使い魔の精霊魔法, Tsukaima no Seirei Mahō): An age old magic that has served to be comparable to Celestial Spirit Magic, Familiar Spirit Magic includes the permanent summon of a familiar as an aide to the caster. Familiars are any living things originating from the Familiar Spirit Magic that make a contract with a mage. Such spirits, once contracted adapt to the ambient magic in the air of Earthland and its conditions as well as having a constant supply of magic given to them from their contractor. Although the strength of familiars often vary, being fed larger amounts of magic can result in their strength and magical capabilities becoming heavily increased. Having stumbled across his familiar within its infant form, Soren created a contract with the serpentine spirit Tianlong. *'Tianlong' (天竜 Tenryuu) (lit. Heavenly Dragon): A gigantic serpentine creature of unknown species, Tianlong is Soren’s personal familiar spirit contracted to him from a mutually young age. Together they have grown to the stage of adulthood and as a by-product, developed an incredibly close bond to the extent Soren is considered the only one capable of controlling him. Incapable of physical speech, his communication relies heavily on emotions often consisting of roars or mewls when conversing with individuals although he is especially favorable towards Soren. Having been described as a “creation of wrath” Tianlong is highly aggressive; in his unreleased state usually seen attacking with reckless abandon and disregarding any possible concept of allies. To keep him under control, Soren seals Tianlong in a smaller form that resembles a silver fish small enough to fit inside of Soren’s hat. Trivia *Soren’s position as an Arch-Sage has in the entirety of the existence of the Magic Council only been awarded to 3 other people; making him the 4th person in the history of Seven to be an Arch-Sage. *His interests include Gardening, Flower Arranging and Solving Puzzles while his dislikes include Filling out paperwork and Attending Arch-Sage related duties. **Consequently, those who get to know Soren comment that he is surprisingly childish in comparison to his public image. *During his time as a member of the Tarot, although the format was different he completed the equivalent of 442 jobs; 227 Normal, 154 S-Rank, 60 SS-Rank, 1 Ten-Year. **He attempted 1 One Hundred-Year ranked job however returned unsuccessful. *Soren’s theme is, as selected by the author, 7!!-Orange *According to the author: **The name Soren and the position of Arch-Sage stands as a reference to the Staff officer and Strategist of the Greil Mercenaries Soren from Fire Emblem. **His concept stems from a mixture of Dynasty Warriors’ Guo Jia and Touken Ranbu’s Yamanbagiri Kunihiro. **His accomplished mastery over Wind Magic takes great inspiration from Gaara from Naruto. **The Wind Sigils take after the described natures of the Greek Gods of the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western winds although the character Eurus is never comprehensively explored in mythology. Behind the Scenes The author apologizes however, as the text caused some formatting issues, the author's thoughts on Soren can be found here. Category:Male Category:Mage